People ask Kris and me all the time about how we’re able to travel full time (at our age.) Usually the people who ask us are living some variation of what used to be called “The American Dream”– a good job, a home in the suburbs, two cars, and a membership in the country club. That’s a life not too unlike the one we used to have.

But my father once said to me–only somewhat facetiously–that the happiest day of his life was the day the last kid left and the dog died. That, maybe unconsciously, is what we’d been waiting for. (Kids and dogs are arguably legitimate anchors. Some families certainly travel full time with their children, but that wasn’t for us. We also had a business. It’s a lot harder to uproot a business than kids.)But in 2010, we’d closed our business, our kids had grown, graduated from college and left home, and one of them had taken the dog (at our insistence.)So, we still had the large home, a house full of furniture, and three cars, including the Porsche I’d bought myself when our business achieved a significant milestone. (The country club had been abandoned long ago when I realized I didn’t really like golf enough to spend all that time on it.)The question is not: “How are you able to travel full time?”

It’s: “Would you rather schlep a roller bag to 35 or so countries in the next couple of years, or be comfortably ensconced in your living room with all your stuff?”If you answered that question like we did, then the next logical query is: “Do you know a good real estate agent?” We did.We’ve learned that traveling (at our age) has its advantages. Here are some of them.

1. You can go where you want and skip what you want. If you don’t want to go to the famous museum, you don’t have to. If you’d rather eat a hamburger instead of the local cuisine, go ahead. It’s your life; live it like you want. 2. You know that a good museum or gallery is more interesting than a beach. You can go to the beach later in the day. Sunsets are nice there. Probably nicer than the gallery. 3. You don’t have to stay in the cheapest place. Hey, you can stay in a hostel if you want, but wasn’t the point of working for all those years getting to take some time and enjoy yourself? Get a soft bed and take it easy. Some days, instead of forcing yourself to see one more cathedral, stay in the room and read a book. 4. This is a corollary to number 3: you don’t have to go down the hall to the bathroom. 5. You can do things you’ve never done before. Since I’ve been older, I’ve trekked 120 kilometers in the Guatemalan jungle, walked all the way across Spain, and climbed a mountain in Tasmania that I had no business doing. I never did any of that stuff when I was a twenty-something. 6. Two words: senior discounts. In some countries, at least. 7. The taxi driver (and you often take taxis) will lift your bags out of the trunk for you without being asked. 8. Your iTunes playlist is much better than that of the young people around you. 9. If you’re a woman, Italian men no longer grab your ass. 10. You don’t have dementia, and yet you still get to meet new friends every day. 11. You can take a nap if you want to. And you often do want to. 12. You don’t spend ridiculous amounts of your travel budget on alcohol. You know it’s worth the extra two dollars to get the top shelf tequila in your margarita, but your age, it only takes two drinks to get a buzz on. 13. You know that traveling is really not that hard. Language barrier? No problem. You’re used to getting what you want by demonstrating. If you don’t get exactly what you want, you’re ok with it because you know it’s not really that big of a deal. 14. When you come across a “famous” person’s house or grave, there’s a good chance you know who he or she was because you had a liberal arts education, and you’ve also had time to read a lot of books since college. 15. Surfing even a two-foot wave is impressive. Hey, you got up, didn’t you? 16. You’re absolutely sure that when it comes to photographs, it’s the photographer, not the equipment that matters. You also know that you don’t have to take a photo of yourself in front of every tourist attraction in the world and post it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 17. You are smart enough to wear a hat and sunscreen and to have quit smoking a long time ago. 18. You are an expert at packing light, because you’ve had things all your life, and now you realize that most of them are utterly unimportant. 19. You know that no matter how old you feel, you’re still younger than Mick Jagger. 20. When young people find out you are a full time traveler at your age, they think you’re cool. And you are.

Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning sold almost everything they owned in 2010 and headed out on the road. Since then, they’ve been to 35 countries on five continents. They are currently in Japan, and are headed back to their favorite country, Spain, in October. Africa is on the agenda for next year, and they promise they’ll make it to Antarctica eventually.

They both blog about their travels at TravelPast50.com. Kris also publishes her poetry, photos and other random musings on HMSHenning.com.

I agree! A wise man once said "you are only as old as you feel". Getting to speak with this couple was a great experience. They are so nice, and have much knowledge and many stories to share. The story of how they got started traveling is also inspiring.

Absolutely! I think that the tips offered can be tailored to any age group that is traveling. I find this couple very inspiring. They have experienced so much, and live life to the fullest. It was a pleasure having them post.

There are a few tips in there. :) Packing light is a must! Could you imagine attempting to backpack with two large suitcases, one backpack, along with a duffle-bag, lol. It would make for a nearly impossible trekking experience. A traveler should only pack the necessities,and their curiosity!

:) I am sure that there are still a few butt grabs going on here and there! I would like to have my butt grabbed every now and then. ;) I really enjoyed reading this post. It has some humor, and you can feel their lively spirit when reading their words. I also find there story very encouraging.

Reply

Trout Lowen

10/14/2013 01:21:59 am

Great list.
It's great to hear that you're still on the road and still enjoying it.
I'd add that sometimes just "being" is better than "seeing". Sitting in an outdoor cafe and watching the world pass by is as interesting, and sometimes more informative, than as another museum or ruin.

Right you are, Trout, and we've done lots and lots of sitting. Of course, some places are much better for that than others. Nothing better than the cafe/bar cultures of Spain, Italy, and France. Not as prevalent in a lot of other places, but we always try to make do.

I couldn't agree with you more! I really enjoy the little time I do get to sit and watch everything around me. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, and what we need to do that it's easy to forget to just enjoy what we have. There is so much beauty around us that we don't need to travel 2,000 miles to see it. Beauty can be seen from anywhere.

Number 19 made me laugh. I agree that there isn't many that looker older than Mick! The whole post was great! I am so glad they were able to do this! Their whole story is so amazing. They are young at heart and really enjoy what they are doing!

Actually, I'm not sure about number 9. It's just that Kris and I were there two years ago and she didn't report any incidents. Of course, she could have been keeping the stray romantic moments to herself. She's sneaky like that sometimes.

Well, I'm not too sure about number 9, but Kris and I were in Italy two years ago and she didn't report any pinchings. Of course, she might just have been keeping her stray romantic encounters to herself. She's like that.

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